


Would've Married You in Vegas

by walkingonfirex



Category: All Time Low (Band)
Genre: Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Bottom Alex, Drugs, First Time, Friends With Benefits, Jalex - Freeform, Las Vegas, Let It Roll (Back to '07) Contest, M/M, Marijuana, Put Up or Shut Up Era, Rimming, Sad, Shower Sex, Smut, This is a Fucking Monster, Top Jack, Touring, Unrequited Love, Warped Tour 2007, requited lust
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-06
Updated: 2018-06-06
Packaged: 2019-05-19 00:15:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14863046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/walkingonfirex/pseuds/walkingonfirex
Summary: "The year is 2007. All Time Low is playing Warped Tour, and it’s hot as fuck. They’ve been extremely busy touring, writing and recording their new album, and trying not to die of alcohol poisoning while also hanging with the big dogs in their scene, like Sum 41 and Yellowcard and Alkaline Trio. Jack’s so stoked that Alex is pretty sure that he hasn’t blinked in weeks. Rian is annoyed because Jack won’t shut the fuck up about playing alongside Yellowcard. It’s making them look uncool, okay? Zack is gone skateboarding with some of the guys from Boys Like Girls so often that they rarely know where he is, but he never shows up to the Hurley.com stage late, so they haven’t kicked his ass yet. Alex is just taking it all in. And also flirting with Meg Frampton from Meg & Dia, but he doesn’t see that going anywhere. He doesn’t mind. He’s not here for girls. He’s here for the music, as corny as that might sound."A wild weekend in Vegas changes Alex Gaskarth's life forever -- and his band's, too.Written for the Let It Roll (Back To ‘07) Contest





	Would've Married You in Vegas

**Author's Note:**

  * For [OverbearingStruggles](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OverbearingStruggles/gifts).



> This has taken way too long, but here it is. Special special special thanks to overbearingstruggles for the plot idea. I entered the contest with no fucking clue of where I wanted to go, and I completely owe this to her. I hope that she enjoys it, because it's as much hers as it is mine. I hope you guys enjoy it! I wanna keep writing this summer, and I have two stories in progress, but whether they'll get finished...? Your guess is as good as mine. :)

The year is 2007. All Time Low is playing Warped Tour, and it’s hot as fuck. They’ve been extremely busy touring, writing and recording their new album, and trying not to die of alcohol poisoning while also hanging with the big dogs in their scene, like Sum 41 and Yellowcard and Alkaline Trio. Jack’s so stoked that Alex is pretty sure that he hasn’t blinked in weeks. Rian is annoyed because Jack won’t shut the fuck up about playing alongside Yellowcard. It’s making them look uncool, okay? Zack is gone skateboarding with some of the guys from Boys Like Girls so often that they rarely know where he is, but he never shows up to the Hurley.com stage late, so they haven’t kicked his ass yet. Alex is just taking it all in. And also flirting with Meg Frampton from Meg & Dia, but he doesn’t see that going anywhere. He doesn’t mind. He’s not here for girls. He’s here for the music, as corny as that might sound. 

They’ve just arrived in Vegas for the weekend, for a couple days off. They’re really excited about that because they don’t have a bus and sleeping in a van can get really fucking annoying, especially when Vinny stinks as badly as he does. They can only afford a really shitty motel, but that’s okay because it means they can have a bed and a shower. They have to share beds, but that’s okay, too. Alex is just glad to have a couple days off. 

“Hell yes,” Jack says to Alex as the van pulls up to their motel. Flyzik has been driving for a long while and he looks relieved. 

“I’m sleeping with the lead singer!” Jack calls out, grabbing his duffel bag. 

Alex laughs and rolls his eyes, glancing at Rian, who is _also_ rolling his eyes. “Fuck, please. Take him. I’ll sleep with anybody but Vinny.,” Rian complains.

“Aw, c’mon, man!” Vinny whines. “You know your ass belongs to me.” 

There’s a series of loud groans, but Jack’s moved on from that. He’s hopping out of the van and waiting for Alex, dark eyes meeting his own. Jack and Alex have been best friends since ninth grade. Alex thinks that’s right, anyway. A long ass time. And while Alex is close to everyone in his band and crew, he’s closest to Jack, and he’s glad that they’ll be sharing a room, _especially_ since they’ll be sharing a bed. Vinny is gassy and thinks that it’s hilarious, when Zack snores, he sounds like a loud lawnmower, Rian talks in his sleep, and Flyzik has night terrors. Jack snores a little, but it’s nothing bad, and he’s cuddly, but he doesn’t hog the bed. It’s a queen-sized, so that’s important. 

They follow Flyzik into the lobby and the night manager is sitting behind what appears to be bulletproof glass. _That’s comforting_ , Alex thinks to himself as Jack snickers beside him. Once everyone has their key cards, they go to their rooms, and Alex is both relieved and unsettled to see that there are five different locks on their door. 

“Vinny’s getting us some vodka,” Jack says with a quirk of his eyebrow. Jack is nineteen; Alex is twenty. They might be rockstars, but they’re still not twenty-one. 

Alex nods and grins, flopping onto the bed. “No bed bugs,” he tells Jack happily. “At least none that I can see. But vodka. Yeah, that’s great.” 

Jack steps closer, examining the bed. “They’re tiny. Are you _sure_ you don’t see any?” 

Alex grins, sitting up and pushing some of his blond locks out of his face. “Shit. If they’re here, I hope they don’t show themselves. Ignorance is bliss.” 

If Lisa were here, she’d be having a fit. She hates motels, and that’s why she rarely went on tour with them. She was terrified of bed bugs and stains and all of the things that went along with cheap motels. But that was back when they were actually together. They weren’t anymore. Sometimes Alex misses her, but he wonders if he really misses _her_ or if he misses affection. Meg was cute, but Alex isn’t sure if she would be down for cuddling and stuff. She’s pretty focused on her music, as well. 

Jack sits down beside Alex and then begins to flip through the different channels on the basic cable. It’s better than nothing, Alex decides. Especially when they have no TV in the van.  
“When’s Vinny gonna be here?” Alex asks. They haven’t eaten yet, but Alex is completely down with just ordering a pizza and staying in the motel with their vodka and shitty cable and their shower. And toilet. That’s nice, too. 

Jack shrugs. “Probably after dinner. We’re all going out to some place on the strip.” 

Alex sighs. He loves partying as much as the next guy, but he’s tired. As lame as it probably sounds, he just wants to stay in. 

“You okay?” Jack asks, flipping onto his side to look at Alex. “Are you not hungry?” 

Alex gives Jack a smile. “Yeah, I am. Don’t worry, I’m fine. I just…I wish we had a bus, y’know?” 

Jack laughs and nods. “Me too, dude. But that’s why we’re doing this, right? We want a bus.”

Alex cracks a genuine smile. “Isn’t there more to it than just getting a bus?” 

Jack’s eyes twinkle and he nods. “Yeah, I guess. The biggest band in the world always starts on _the_ Vans Warped Tour, right?” 

Alex giggles, shaking his head. “When did The Beatles ever play Warped?”  
“Oh, fuck off!”Jack exclaims, laughing loudly and gently punching Alex’s arm. 

Alex keeps giggling and he stands up, dusting himself off. “Okay, come on. The sooner we get to dinner, the sooner we get our vodka, and the sooner we get our vodka, the sooner my night can really begin.” 

Jack rolls his eyes and laughs, trotting off after Alex. 

* * *

 

When Alex wakes up the next morning, things feel weird. There’s light streaming in through the shitty, paper-thin curtains, he’s drenched in sweat and he’s _hot_ , his lower half covered in something that’s dried and gotten crusty. He blinks a few times, his eyes burning, and he realizes that he has a pounding headache. When he turns over, he sees Jack’s bare back, and he frowns. It’s not unusual for Jack to sleep without a shirt on, of course. But it’s definitely weird for Alex to wake up naked next to him. It wasn’t clear if Jack was naked or not, but he had a bad feeling that he was.

“Jack,” Alex croaked, grabbing Jack’s shoulder. When Jack doesn’t stir, Alex groans in frustration and shakes him again. “Jack, wake up!” 

At that, Jack does finally open his eyes. He sits up and yawns, rubbing his eyes. “What is it, dude? Did you lose your boxers?” 

Alex frowned, sensing the joking tone in Jack’s voice. “I…um,” he cleared his throat. I think that we both did.” 

Jack furrows his brows. “Do you not remember anything, man? I mean, you did hit that bottle pretty hard.” 

“N-no,” Alex stutters. He’s worried. He’s a weird drunk. Most of the time, he gets really sad and starts crying. He’s also a horny drunk, likely to fuck anyone that gives him attention. Which, last night, that definitely would have been Jack. 

Jack laughs, squeezing Alex’s shoulder. “It’s no big deal, dude. I sucked your dick, and then you tried to give me a hand job.” 

Alex doesn’t understand how Jack is so calm about this. “What?!” is all he can ask. 

Jack just keeps laughing. “After we had dinner, we came back here with our vodka and you drank more than half the bottle by yourself, dude. You kept trying to call Meg so I took your phone away and you started crying, so I was like, ‘dude, if you stop crying, I’ll suck your dick.’ So you stopped crying and I sucked your dick. Then you tried to jerk me off, but you were so drunk that it just…didn’t work. But that was fine. I appreciated the offer.” 

Alex blushed, looking away. He couldn’t believe that a) he’d allowed himself to get this drunk and disoriented, and b) that Jack was so unbelievably calm about sucking his dick. 

“Sorry if that upsets you,” Jack says softly. “You were drunk, I shouldn’t have-”

“No, it’s okay!” Alex interjects, probably too enthusiastically. “I trust you. I’m not mad.” He’s still blushing, but he’s just glad that Jack isn’t teasing him or anything. 

Jack visibly relaxes and then rests his head on Alex’s shoulder. “Everything’s gonna be okay. You wanna take a shower now? I know I’ve gotta be rank.” 

Alex blushes again, but it’s for a different reason this time. “T-together?” he stammers, biting his lip. 

Jack kind of smirks, one that Alex has seen before, one that he uses to pick up groupies. Alex isn’t sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, but before he can respond, Jack is pulling him close and kissing him gently, hesitantly. He’s giving Alex an easy out if he wants it, but he doesn’t, so Alex lets his eyes flutter shut and he kisses him back. 

Jack’s lips are a bit chapped, much rougher than any girl’s that he’s kissed before. There’s a weird scratch of facial hair, but he doesn’t really mind. It’s not like it’s a perfect kiss, but it’s good, really good even. Jack very gently presses his tongue against Alex’s lips and Alex feels himself blushing again. He opens his mouth to let Jack in, but then the younger boy pulls away. Alex opens his eyes to see Jack still grinning at him, and he takes Alex’s hand. 

“C’mon,” Jack whispers, tugging on Alex’s hand. Alex giggles as Jack pulls him into the tiny bathroom. Jack opens the shower door, and from what Alex can tell, it’s fairly clean. It’s not the biggest, but they can make do. Alex is sure of it. 

He watches Jack turn the faucet and Alex grabs the shitty motel shampoo and soap. They’ve got their own in their duffel bags, but Alex isn’t going to waste time with getting those. Jack motions for Alex to join him and Alex grins in response, trying his damnedest not to get embarrassed now. Jack’s seen him naked a thousand times. This should be nothing different. 

Alex doesn’t have time to back out because Jack wraps his arms around Alex’s waist and pulls him in. Alex giggles as Jack’s huge nose bumps against his own, and then he opens his mouth as Jack moves in to kiss him again. Alex wraps his arms around Jack’s neck and kisses him deeply, feeling a warmth spread throughout his body. He’s hard, and Jack’s hard. He can feel it against his stomach. This entire thing is absolutely insane, but Alex can’t stop now. He won’t stop.

Jack moves away from Alex for a moment, but he doesn’t take his arms away from Alex’s waist. Jack grins, leaning down to kiss Alex’s neck, biting and sucking at the sensitive skin there. Alex moans, rolling his head over to give Jack more room to kiss. He likes this a lot. Girls don’t do this. They should. 

Hot water from the shower head courses down, soaking both of them, somehow making this even sexier than it was before. Jack is a hot guy, but Alex has never thought about that before now. He’s glad that Jack’s interested in him. He curses as Jack bites down _hard_ on his collarbone, and then he whines, feeling Jack’s tongue soothe over the bite. 

Alex knows that he really owes Jack _something_ after last night. He wants to do something for him, but he’s never been with a guy before. In fact, he’s only ever jerked himself off. That’s all he knows when it comes to a dude’s body. It’s not like he wasn’t open to sex with guys, he’s just never really had the opportunity. Throughout high school, he was off and on with Lisa and her friend, Samantha, so dudes weren’t exactly on his mind. Especially not Jack.  
Alex grabs Jack’s waist and then shyly kisses his chest, kissing down, down, to the trail of hair that leads from his stomach to his cock. He doesn’t stop there, licking over the tip and then down the length. He’s seen Jack’s dick before, of course. But at this level, it seems so much bigger: longer, and thicker. It’s longer than Alex’s and it’s not as hairy as some of the other guys.’ Alex is glad for that. Jack shudders against him, moaning and leaning against the wall, so Alex assumes that what he’s doing is good, or at least he hopes so. Alex wraps a hand around Jack’s length and then closes his lips over the head, lapping at it. He hopes that he doesn’t look like a dog. The thought makes him want to laugh, so he takes in more of Jack, almost choking himself. 

With wide eyes, Alex glances up at Jack, surprised at what he sees. From behind his long eyelashes, he can see that Jack looks wrecked. His eyes are closed, his head is leaned back against the wall of the shower, and he’s biting his lip. Swears are coming out of his mouth and Alex can tell that he’s trying not to jerk his hips by the way that his hands dig into the tiles on the shower wall. At this, Alex grins, his face flushing with pride, and he takes even more of Jack in. He feels Jack’s hips stutter, and then Jack is rocking into Alex’s mouth. It doesn’t bother Alex as much as he thought that it would, but this time, he really does choke, and his eyes water. But this doesn’t deter him from the job that he has to do. He starts using his hand for what his mouth can’t reach, and soon enough, Jack is moaning even louder and cursing even more. 

Jack opens his eyes and locks his own with Alex’s, and Alex takes the opportunity to wink at him. He then twists his wrists as he strokes the length, swallowing around him. 

“Fuck,” Jack whispers, moving a hand into Alex’s hair. “Holy fuck, Alex…dude, I’m gonna cum.” He pulls Alex’s hair.

Alex learns that he _really_ likes his hair being pulled and his long since abandoned dick twitches. And despite Jack’s warning, Alex doesn’t pull off. Instead, he sucks harder and moves his hand faster. He doesn’t know why, but he really wants Jack to cum in his mouth. And he does. Alex has tasted his own cum before, but he’s not prepared for the flavor of Jack’s. It’s salty and bitter and thicker than his own. But maybe that’s because he’s actually swallowing a full load instead of just tasting a drop. 

He can feel Jack softening in his mouth, so he goes to stand. His knees are sore from being on the hard shower floor, but it’s okay because Jack pulls him to his feet and kisses him messily. Alex has swallowed most of the jizz, but he knows that there’s still some left on his tongue. Personally, Alex doesn’t like to kiss after a girl has given him head, but he guesses that Jack doesn’t mind, and in this particular situation, Alex doesn’t mind either. 

“Goddamn,” Jack whispers, grinning as he pulls away. “Who taught you how to suck dick, man?”

Alex blushes and shrugs, pushing the wet bangs from his face. “I…I dunno. I’ve never done it before, so I guess no one.” 

Jack smirks and nods. “In that case…,” he trails off and before Alex can figure out what he’s doing, Jack wraps a hand around him. 

Alex hisses and then bites his lip. Hand jobs aren’t as fun as blow jobs, but he supposes that’s only fair because he got one last night and Jack didn’t. Jack strokes him a couple times before he spins Alex’s around. Alex isn’t sure what’s happening, but he braces his hands against the wall of the shower and closes his eyes. It wouldn’t make sense for Jack to try to fuck him because he just came and _oh_. Jack’s mouth is pressed against one of his cheeks and Alex isn’t sure how to feel. He’s never experienced anything like this, but he doesn’t hate it. _In fact_ , when Jack bites him there, he moans in pleasure. 

“I’m gonna make you feel _so_ good, Lexy,” Jack purrs before he pushes his tongue inside of Alex. 

Alex moans again, but it’s more loud this time, and he can’t help but thrust back against him. “Goddamn,” he mutters, gasping. He’s definitely never encountered this before, and he’s never even thought about it. But it’s nice. Really, really nice. He can feel Jacks’ tongue going deeper and deeper and his fingers digging into his waist, so hard that he might even have bruises later, but that’s not important at the moment. 

As Jack’s tongue laps at Alex’s hole, Alex can feel him prodding a finger in alongside of it. It’s weird, but it doesn't hurt, and when he spreads his walls and his tongue goes even deeper, it feels really, really _good_. Alex wants to grab onto something, but there’s nothing but the shower wall, so he finds himself scratching at the tile and whimpering softly. 

“Jack,” he whispers. “Jack, please.” He doesn’t know what he’s pleading for, but whatever it is, he really wants it. He feels Jack slip another finger inside of him, and that’s when he _really_ moans. “Oh my god, _Jack_ ,” he whines, throwing his head back and all but sobbing. 

Jack doesn’t let up at all, spreading Alex’s walls with his fingers and lapping and sucking at his hole. The feeling and the pleasure are unlike anything he’s ever felt before and he’s a complete goner when Jack moves his other hand around to stroke Alex’s cock. 

“Fuck!” Alex cries out, shooting his load onto the shower wall. He’s trembling and biting his lip and he can hardly breathe. Jack licks him through it before gently sliding his fingers out of him. And maybe it’s kind of gross, but Alex turns around and gently pulls Jack to his feet, kissing him hard, desperately. Jack grins and kisses Alex back, wrapping his arms around his waist and deepening it. For a few minutes, they make out, the spray of the water raining down on both of them. 

When Jack finally pulls away, he chuckles and brushes some of the hair out of Alex’s eyes. “Water’s getting cold,” he says with a grin. “We should probably wash up and get out.” 

Alex blushes and then nods in agreement as Jack grabs the shitty shampoo. 

* * *

After they’ve showered and dressed, it’s way past noon. Thankfully, no one has woken up too early, so no one questions why Jack and Alex have taken so long. They’re due to meet the guys for a late lunch (or early dinner) at a buffet in a casino, ala a text message from Flyzik. They’re not old enough to drink and they’re pretty poor, but they can gorge themselves and gamble a little, and that’s good enough for them.

Alex is shy and quiet around Jack, but thankfully no one seems to notice. He piles his plate high and then slides into a chair beside Rian. 

“Man, you guys missed it last night,” Rian says to Alex, taking a big bite of some kind of pasta. 

Alex looks down at his shrimp and smiles softly. He’s not jealous of anything he could have missed out on. “Oh, yeah?” he asks anyway.  
Rian laughs. “We dared Zack to drink an entire bottle of ketchup!” 

Zack groans, sitting down across from them. “Don’t fucking remind me, man. I don’t wanna even think of the stuff for at least a couple of days.” 

Alex laughs too and takes a sip of his iced tea. “What’re you gonna eat your fries with then?” he asks, gesturing to Zack’s two plates of food. 

Zack shrugs. “Nothing wrong with some bald potatoes.” 

“We’re in a band with one!” Jack exclaims, sitting down beside Zack, and Rian rolls his eyes. Alex blushes and giggles. Jack’s always been funny, but man, everything he says now is just hilarious. 

“Y’know, Al, I feel really bad for you, rooming with Jack and all. But I’m not switching with you,” Rian says saltily. 

Alex smiles a little. He likes sharing a room with Jack. “S’fine, anyway. Zack snores and Vinny can’t keep his gas to himself. And Flyzik sleeps with a Mickey Mouse plushy.” He visibly cringes. 

“Oh, fuck off,” Flyzik says, scooting into the booth beside Alex. “It’s not hurting anyone at all.” 

“It’s hurting me,” says Vinny with a pout, as he slides in beside Jack. “You’re cuddling with that thing instead of me, Matthew.” 

Matt groans. He hates being called Matthew and everyone knows it. Which is why everyone that knows him calls him that. “Mickey Mouse doesn’t stink.” 

This sends everyone into a frenzy about whether or not Mickey stinks. He _is_ a mouse, as Rian points out. But he’s a _famous_ mouse, Flyzik argues. 

And Alex is relieved that no one is focused on him because his brain is still a scrambled mess. Yesterday, Jack had been his best friend. Today, he’s still his best friend, but they’ve sucked each other’s dicks and Jack’s seen what most people, despite the rumors, have never even had a peek at. He’s terrified, but at the same time, he’s excited and feeling embarrassingly fuzzy. 

He feels even fuzzier when Jack locks eyes with him across the table and smirks at him, and then again when Jack gently rubs his foot against his _under_ the table. 

After everyone is stuffed to the gills, the six of them head to the casino. Alex has a pocketful of pennies and a little bit more change, but he doesn’t want to blow too much money. He likes eating, after all. 

“I never wanna fucking eat again,” Rian complains as they enter the casino. He’s met with a few grunts and grumbles in agreement. 

Jack, however, shrugs. “I don’t know, I think there’s something I’d like to eat again.” He looks at Alex and smirks. 

Alex’s jaw drops and he blushes furiously, putting his head down as they keep walking. He prays that no one notices. 

“Coconut pie?” Vinny guesses, and Jack just laughs. 

Alex is relieved when the group shuffles into the huge room and splits off. He needs a breather, so he finds an empty penny machine and starts to press his luck. He quickly finds that it’s not really all that interesting. After the first few losses, Alex is kind of over it and he wonders what the appeal is. 

As if on cue, Jack joins Alex’s side and yanks the handle on the machine. Right before Alex’s eyes, three cherries pop up on the screen. Soon, the machine is spitting out pennies left and right. Alex is an idiot and doesn’t have anything to put his winnings in. He’s about to panic when Jack places a cup at the mouth of the machine and catches the pennies. He’s Alex’s hero. 

“Wow,” Alex says, blinking in amazement. “How the fuck did you do that?”

Jack laughs. “It’s not rocket science, dude. You just pull the lever.” 

Alex rolls his eyes, finally looking Jack in the eyes. Prior, he'd been too nervous. Looking at Jack now makes his heart pound furiously, and now is no different. “You know what I mean.”

“It’s a game of chance,” Jack says immediately. “There’s not a trick to it…At least I don’t think so. You just gotta do it.” 

Alex thinks for a moment, pondering this. Then he shrugs, handing Jack his cup back. “Here. It’s your cup and you kinda won this, anyway.” 

Jack shook his head, holding up another cup. “Nah, it’s yours. I got two cups. You ran off, so I figured you wouldn’t think to get one.” He gives Alex a sweet smile. 

Alex blushes, but then his face lights up. Jack thought about him and that means a lot to him for some reason. “Th-thanks,” he stammers, before turning back to his machine. 

“You’re welcome,” he hears Jack say. “But dude, you’re not gonna make shit on the penny machines.” He takes Alex’s hand and begins to lead him elsewhere, which makes Alex’s heart thump maniacally in his chest. He’s always loved when Jack would hold his hand, but this time, it’s so much better. 

“I don’t wanna break the bank,” Alex protests, but he follows him. He definitely can’t say no to Jack. 

Jack just chuckles and stops at a quarter machine. He sits down and gestures for Alex to come with him. 

Alex just smiles a little and grabs a stool, sliding it over beside Jack. “I can’t afford this,” he tells him with a raise of his brows. 

Jack ignores Alex, sliding a silver coin into the slot. Alex watches as he pulls the lever and does not win. But unlike Alex, Jack doesn’t get discouraged; he just pulls another quarter out and keeps going. 

“And this is fun to you?” Alex asks with a frown. “It’s so _boring_ , dude.” 

Jack chuckles, shaking his head. “Patience, Alexander. It’s all about patience.”

Alex stares at Jack. He’s known him for a really long time and he’s never known him to be anything but patient. He raises an eyebrow and chuckles. “Patience, huh? That’s an interesting thought.” 

Jack smirks and turns to look at Alex. “Why’s that?” 

Alex just shrugs. “You can’t even stand a ten minute drive to a convenience store to get candy. I don’t know how this would be any easier for you.” 

Jack laughs. “You know me well, but there’s money involved here. Good money.” 

Alex considers this. There is a _chance_ of money involved in this situation, while there is a definite guarantee of candy in the other. But Jack’s a weird dude and Alex has long ago learned to not question his logic. “Okay,” Alex replies, still skeptical. He watches as Jack puts in another quarter and then pulls the lever. To Alex’s amazement, three of the same symbols pop up on the screen. Jack lets out a howl and starts laughing, throwing his head back and sliding his winnings cup against the mouth of the machine. Alex watches as quarters rain into the cup, making a satisfying, metal-on-metal clanking sound. 

“See, Alex?” Jack asks with a beaming smile. “Patience is a virtue.”

* * *

 

After Jack wins, Alex plays the quarter machines, as well. He doesn’t win anything, but he stops before he goes broke, and he wins the penny machines _again_ later. Alex’s total winnings are eighty dollars in pennies, while Jack wins over two-hundred in quarters. Alex could be jealous, but he spent the entire evening at the casino with Jack, so he has no reason to be. Besides, Zack knows the guys in Boys Like Girls really well and they have dealers all over the country, which means they have good weed that probably hasn’t been laced with anything. The guys all want to get together to smoke it and get drunk again, but luckily for Alex, Flyzik doesn’t want to smoke and goes back to his room, so he and Jack are able to get their cut and go back to their own room, too. Alex really wants to be alone with Jack again.

When they get back to their room, Alex promptly shuts the door behind them and locks the door, taking care to lock all five of the bolts. He doesn’t want to be interrupted. When he turns around, Jack’s walking around and looking up at the ceiling. 

“I don’t see any smoke detectors. Doesn’t mean there isn’t one, but it isn’t likely. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not,” Jack says with a laugh. 

Alex kicks his shoes off and then plops down on their bed, lying down. “That’s okay,” he says with a shrug. “At least we don’t have to smoke outside.” 

Jack nods, sitting down beside Alex.”Let’s just make sure not to set any fires before we go to sleep,” he says, chuckling. 

Alex giggles shyly and scoots closer to Jack. He wants to snuggle with him and he wants to kiss him, too, but he’s much too nervous. He hopes that the weed will help him out. He doesn’t smoke often, but he wants the chillness and carefree attitude that weed provides. He’s not normally this anxious, but these new feelings for Jack were changing him in more ways than one. 

“Hope you can roll those,” Alex tells Jack, gesturing to the paper Zack had given him. Alex has never rolled a joint before, and he knows that there’s a very precise method to to doing it the right way. At least that’s what Zack says and Alex trusts Zack’s judgement. 

Jack grins and nods. “Yeah, I’ve got a pretty good idea. I’m no Zack Merrick but I’m good enough to get the job done.” 

Alex grins back and watches as Jack painstakingly takes the plant out of the baggie and place it in the rolling paper. It doesn’t look too difficult, but Alex is still glad that he’s not the one doing it. Jack rolls it up and then twists the ends before turning to Alex with a proud smile. “There you go,” he says, reaching onto the bedside table for the butane lighter they’d purchased earlier. It’s got an American flag print and it takes a couple sparks to light the joint. 

Jack takes the first hit and he grins. “It’s pretty good,” he says to Alex before passing it to him. Alex is nervous. He’s not good at smoking weed, and he doesn’t even like it it that much. Regardless, he takes a hit and immediately begins coughing. 

Jack starts laughing and claps him on the back “Dude! You _still_ cough when you smoke?” 

Alex turns red and takes long, heaving breaths. as Jack softens and stats to rub small circles onto his back. “I-I’ll be fine,” Alex says softly. 

Jack chuckles and takes the joint from him, grinning. “I know something that might make it a bit easier for you.” 

Alex watches Jack curiously as he takes another hit and then holds his breath. Jack leans toward Alex, bumping his nose against his own, and Alex immediately knows what Jack wants to do. Alex opens his mouth and Jack gently blows the smoke into his mouth. It’s hot and intimate and Alex quickly feels the fuzzy feeling that’s so common when he’s around Jack. 

Jack doesn’t move away, even as Alex holds the smoke in his lungs for a few moments. He still coughs a little, but it isn’t as bad as the first time. Alex giggles a little as he blows the smoke out and Jack seals the distance between their mouths, kissing him deeply. It isn’t messy though; it’s gentle and sweet and Alex feels like his heart might just burst. He’s not too high just yet, but he’s getting there. The combination of the weed and Jack are making his head really fuzzy. 

“Just a few more hits left,” Jack says, pulling away and examining the joint in his fingers. He wastes no time in taking another drag from the joint and then he playfully blows the smoke in Alex’s face. 

Alex giggles and shakes his head, running a hand through his hair. “Don’t do that to me.” 

Jack hands Alex the joint and cocks his head, before licking his lips. “Why?” The gaze that Jack gives Alex makes a shiver go down his spine. 

The second time Alex puffs on the joint, he barely coughs at all, and he’s proud of himself, smiling in a way that says so. Jack smiles back and then takes the joint from him. Alex watches as he wets his pinky with his tongue and then extinguishes the flame on the end of the joint. Alex licks his lips as Jack tosses the joint to the side. His mind is starting to cloud a little and he giggles, lying on his back and staring at the ceiling. Jack lies down beside him and scoots close, wrapping an arm around him.

“Hi,” Alex whispers, turning to face Jack. He grins and nuzzles his nose against Jack’s cheek. 

“Hey, there,” Jack says, chuckling and holding him close. 

It’s quiet as they lie together, just holding one another. Alex is so damn happy. He can’t stop smiling and he feels his heart is pounding in his chest. He’s touring the United States with his best friends, doing what they love the most, and he’s high on really good weed with his favorite person in the world in Las Vegas. He doesn’t know how it can get much better than this. 

Except it easily does when Jack turns to him and kisses him again, more aggressively this time, with more purpose. Immediately, Alex kisses him back and crawls into his lap. He’s high and horny and he’s with Jack, so there’s no reason to waste any time. Jack grins into the kiss and moves his hands to grip Alex’s ass. Alex whimpers as Jack squeezes him, and he rocks his hips down against Jack’s. Until this thing with Jack started, Alex has never been anything but dominant sexually. But with Jack, he just can’t help himself. It’s like he turns into a needy little puddle when Jack touches him. 

With wide eyes, Alex watches as Jack moves away from him, just a little, and then he rolls his head over to the side because he can tell that Jack is going to kiss his neck. Alex exhales loudly as Jack’s lips brush over the tender skin there. He learned yesterday that he really likes his neck kissed and he’s excited. Jack bites him softly, then sucks at the bite, soothing it with his tongue. Blood rushes to Alex’s cock and he moans as Jack kisses down to his collarbone, and then Jack moves away again. He settles his hands at the hem of Alex’s shirt and then pulls the garment over his head. Jack has seen Alex naked already, and he’s seen him in a very intimate manner, but Alex is still feeling very shy. It’s very different with a guy instead of a girl, of course, but it’s especially different when it’s his best friend, too. Luckily, Jack pulls his own shirt off, as well, so at least they’re on an even playing field. 

Jack smirks as his eyes trail over Alex’s chest and torso and Alex blushes again. He’s about to tell Jack to fuck off when his lover bends down to run his tongue over Alex’s nipple. Alex gasps, and Jack bites him, moving a hand up to roll his other nipple between his fingers. 

“God,” Alex whimpers. He’s positive that no one has ever done this to him, and that’s a shame. But Jack’s doing it now and it’s great. 

Jack moves on to kiss down his stomach and Alex whimpers as Jack stops to dip his tongue into his navel. It feels really good, but he wants more. His dick is so hard now and severely neglected. 

“Jack,” Alex whines, moving his hands down to reach for the button and fly on his jeans. Chuckling, Jack bats Alex’s hands away and takes care of them himself. When they’re unfastened, Alex raises his hips so that Jack can slide them off of his legs. Once at his ankles, he kicks out of them, and Jack immediately cups Alex through his boxers. Alex’s breath hitches and he throws his head back. 

“Take off your pants, too,” Alex instructs, making grabby hands for Jack, who moves forward so that Alex can unbutton his jeans and unzip them. 

“I’m not used to you being demanding,” Jack says with a smirk, sliding his jeans down his legs and tossing them to the side. “I like it.” He leans down to kiss Alex deeply, resting his hands on the waistband of his boxers. 

Alex giggles, his face reddening again. “I like _you_.” He realizes as soon as he says it that it’s really cheesy and embarrassing, but Jack’s face lights up and then he leans down to kiss him. Alex gets that fuzzy feeling again. 

When Jack pulls away from Alex’s lips, he presses a long kiss to his neck that makes Alex shiver. Jack yanks Alex’s boxers down and then he ghosts a kiss to Alex’s jaw. A cool gust from the air conditioner catches Alex’s dick and he whimpers, reaching for Jack’s boxers. He wants him so bad. Jack lets him push his boxers down and then he presses his hips into Alex’s, their bare cocks brushing together. Alex gasps and wraps his arms around Jack’s neck. 

“Holy shit,” Alex gasps. Jack grins back, nodding, and then he does it again. 

“Feels really fucking good, doesn’t it?” Jack asks, before he hops off of the bed. Alex watches curiously as Jack heads over to the bathroom part of the motel room. He doesn’t _think_ that Jack is going to get dressed and bolt, but he’d be lying if he said that his chest didn’t clench a little at the thought. Jack grabs something from the sink and then he turns around, settling back down on the bed. He has the little bottle of the complementary body lotion in his hand and Alex is a bit nervous. He knows what’s about to happen. 

Alex bites his lip as Jack clicks the bottle open and then squeezes a bit onto his fingers. Nevertheless, he lays back and plants his feet firmly on the bed. He’s shaking a little, but wearing a small smile on his face. Jack seems to notice that Alex is nervous and he smiles back as he rubs the lotion between his fingers. 

“Don’t be scared,” Jack whispers. “I’d never hurt you.” 

Alex can’t help it as his smile grows. “I-I know,” he says with flushed cheeks. “I’ve just never done this before. 

“I know,” Jack says, leaning up to kiss Alex’s nose. “But I promise, I’m gonna make you feel really, _really_ good. Scout’s honor.” 

Giggling a little, Alex nods. Jack crawls between Alex’s legs and then nuzzles his inner thigh with his nose. Alex gasps and Jack begins to kiss and suck at the skin there. Even though Alex is anxious, he’s _aching_ for Jack. 

“Please, do something,” Alex whimpers, and Jack sucks a bruise onto Alex’s inner thigh. 

“Okay,” Jack whispers. “Just relax, all right?” He looks up at Alex and smiles softly, locking eyes with him. As he does so, he very gently pushes a finger inside of Alex. 

It’s not really painful, which is surprising to Alex. Thanks to the lotion, it slips in really easily. Yet, it’s not pleasurable, either. It just feels kind of weird and invasive, but it’s not bad. Alex watches Jack, a bit amused at how focused he is. He’s not looking Alex in the eyes anymore; he’s concentrating on preparing Alex’s hole.

“Can you take another?” Jack asks, finally looking back up at Alex. Alex nods eagerly and decides to make a show of it by spreading his legs. Jack chuckles and then pushes the second one in alongside the first. 

The second one is definitely more uncomfortable than the first. Alex grits his teeth, but he does his best to stay relaxed. He can only imagine that clenching would make it much worse. Jack twists his fingers around inside of Alex, and the older bites his lip, whimpering. 

“Just breathe,” Jack whispers, moving his head to kiss Alex’s thigh again. “It’s gonna hurt for a bit.” He starts to scissor his fingers and Alex can feel his walls spreading. It’s not pleasant at all, but he holds the cries of protest in the bottom of his throat. He can feel his eyes watering and part of him just wants to stop, but they’re already so far in. It would be stupid to stop now. Besides, Jack crooks his fingers just a little and pushes them deep inside of Alex and yep, it’s starting to feel really fucking good. 

Alex moans with pleasure, shocks emanating through his lower half. “Oh my god,” Alex pants, throwing his head back. 

“That’s your prostate,” Jack says with a chuckle. He presses his fingers against Alex’s prostate again and again, Alex can feel his eyes watering again. However, this time it’s certainly not from pain. 

“Please,” Alex croaks, moving to fuck himself on Jack’s fingers. “Jack, fuck me.” 

Jack massages Alex’s prostate for a few more moments, pushing a third finger into him, which makes Alex realize that perhaps he’s not ready for a dick yet. Three fingers is different from two, and he knows that fingers aren’t even going to compare to a hard cock. But he’s impatient, and he really, _really_ wants Jack. Jack pulls his fingers out of Alex finally, taking careful measure to slide them over Alex’s perineum. Alex shudders and claws at Jack’s shoulders. He’s going to explode if Jack doesn’t get inside of him. 

“Jack, _please_!” Alex cries, digging his nails into Jack’s back. “I need you.” 

Alex can see that those words awaken something primal in Jack, and his lover nods. He leans down to kiss Alex deeply one more time as he lines up with Alex’s hole. 

“You sure you’re ready?” Jack whispers huskily into Alex’s ear, biting down on the lobe gently. 

“Yes, Jack, please!” Alex moans in reply, and Jack smirks, gently pushing inside of him. Alex gasps as Jack enters him, and he bites his lip. Jack is really fucking big and thick, and he knew that before. But seeing it and sucking it are different than having it in his ass. Thankfully, Jack doesn’t just go for it, he sits inside of Alex and presses kisses to Alex’s neck and jaw. 

“You feel amazing,” Jack grunts. “You’re so tight. Goddamn.”

The compliments make Alex blush and he sighs dramatically. He waits a few moments before he digs his nails into Jack’s back. “Okay,” he whispers. “You can move. 

Jack doesn’t have to be told twice. He grips Alex’s hips and begins to rock his hips. He starts off slowly, before he begins to pick up a rhythm. He doesn’t immediately hit Alex’s prostate, so it doesn’t feel wonderful at first, but it doesn’t feel awful either. He digs his fingernails into Jack’s shoulders. and moves his hips back down against Jack, wanting more. He wants Jack to hit that spot again, because it felt amazing with his fingers. He can only imagine what it’s like with his hard, thick cock. 

As if Jack can hear Alex’s thoughts, he begins to move his hips in circle, trying to hit his prostate. It takes a few thrusts, but when he finally finds it, that same electric buzz shoots throughout Alex’s body and he moans loudly, clawing at Jack’s back. 

“Fuck!” Alex exclaims, “god, Jack do that again.” He sounds needy as fuck, but he doesn’t care. When it comes to Jack, he _is_ needy. He just can’t help it. Jack is so attractive and everything he does and says is so charming. He just makes Alex melt. 

Jack smirks, pressing wet, open-mouthed kisses to Alex’s neck and jaw as he circles his hips into Alex’s prostate. “How does that _feel_?” he asks teasingly, knowing damn well that it’s one of the best things that Alex has ever felt. 

“S-so good,” Alex stammers, still kneading his fingers into Jack. “Oh, my God.” He wraps his legs around Jack’s waist and pulls him in closer. “You’re so big.” He can see the switch in Jack’s eyes, as they darken, and on his mouth as it closes. It’s getting even more primal and it makes Alex shudder. 

Suddenly, Jack’s fucks speed up. He pulls almost all of the way out of Alex, and then he slams right back in, hitting his prostate dead on. Alex screams, slicing his nails through the skin on Jack’s back. He’s getting close to cumming now and he can hardly breathe. Sweat is sliding down his face, narrowly missing his eyes. He’s being stretched beyond anything he’s ever — and could have ever — imagined, and he’s completely wrapped around and in his best friend. Yet, nothing has ever felt so amazing in his entire life. 

“Jack,” Alex whimpers, grabbing at Jack. “I’m so close.”

His lover looks down at him and smirks, his eyes still dark with lust. “Oh, yeah?” Jack asks, leaning down to kiss Alex deeply for a moment. “Touch yourself.” 

Alex immediately does as Jack says, wrapping a hand around his aching, neglected cock and stroking himself quickly. As he does so, Jack keeps fucking him hard with long thrusts that press achingly against Alex’s prostate. It’s not long at all before Alex is coming completely undone. With a loud cry of Jack’s name and a string of muffled curse words, Alex comes harder than he has in his entire life. He shoots onto his and Jack’s stomachs and his entire body trembles. Tears form in the corner of his eyes and he’s breathless, panting as Jack keeps fucking him. 

Jack’s pace is relentless. He’s going so fast and groaning loudly that, if Alex weren’t so dazed, it might be intriguing. But he’s oversensitive now, clenching around his lover, and completely spent. He feels boneless and wobbly, and he knows that he couldn’t walk or move his arms if he tried. Jack leans down to press his face against Alex’s shoulder and Alex can feel the sweat pouring down his lover’s forehead. He’s heavy and sticky and yet, Alex doesn’t really even mind. He loves it, actually. 

“Are you gonna ever cum?” Alex whispers teasingly to Jack, wrapping his arms around his best friend. “Do it, Jack. Fill me up. I wanna feel it. I want your cum in me.” 

“Oh, _fuck_ ,” Jack groans, before biting down on Alex’s shoulder. It’s so rough that Alex gasps and immediately wonders if it broke the skin, but then Jack’s hips stutter and yeah, this is new. Alex can’t _exactly_ feel it, but it’s hot and sticky at the very least. Not as enjoyable as he would have figured, but it’s interesting nonetheless. Jack is panting as he collapses on top of Alex, sweating and pressing messy kisses all over his neck and shoulder. Alex just lets him lie there, even though he’s heavy and sweaty and it’s making Alex even hotter and sweatier than before. 

Finally, Jack carefully pulls out and then lies down beside Alex. He chuckles loudly, still panting a little before running a hand through his sweaty hair. “Fucking hell, Alex. That was…Jesus…Christ, it was really fucking good.” 

Alex blushes bright red and then giggles, hiding his face in Jack’s arm. Jack reaches over to the bedside table and snatches a couple of tissues from the box. He keeps one for himself and then hands one to Alex, leaning over to kiss his temple. 

“These look pretty thin, but you’re gonna wanna clean up, I’m assuming,” Jack says, using his kleenex on himself. Alex watches as he tosses it aside, and then he makes haste to cleaning himself up, his face burning. He has no reason to be, but he’s feeling really shy. 

“Hey,” Jack whispers as Alex tosses his kleenex to the side. “You were amazing. You _are_ amazing.” He pulls Alex into his arms and kisses his forehead, and Alex’s heart pounds viciously in his ribcage. 

“You were, too,” Alex whispers. “I’ve never…,” he trails off, embarrassed again. He clears his throat. “I’ve never felt so good before.” 

Jack chuckles softly and Alex expects him to make a sly comment about it being because Jack has some kind of magic cock. But he doesn’t. He just kisses the top of Alex’s head and pulls him in closer. He yawns and then closes his eyes, so Alex deduces that it must be time to sleep. He’s glad. He’s tired and a bit sore, and just over all exhausted. He closes his eyes and he yawns, too. Right before he falls asleep, he notes that the fuzzy feeling is back. Except now, he knows what it is. 

Alex is in love.

* * *

 

The next morning, everyone meets up for brunch at another buffet. Alex is exhausted and really sore, so if it weren’t for Jack, he’d be really cranky. But because he’s with Jack and clinging to his side, he’s in a good mood. His hair is messy and he’s wearing the laziest outfit ever, but he’s so happy. Jack makes him feel euphoric.

They sit down with their food and the other guys. The others don’t really seem to notice that Alex is clutching Jack’s arm, but Rian looks at Alex, raising an eyebrow. Alex ignores him and eats his waffles and fruit, clinging to Jack and smiling happily at him. 

Jack isn’t necessarily ignoring Alex, because he looks down at him and smiles often, but he isn’t talking to him. He’s talking to the rest of the guys and cracking jokes. He’s behaving in typical Jack fashion, and it shouldn't bother Alex, because he’s had all of his attention for the last two days. Yet, Alex is jealous and he wants Jack to talk to him and kiss him and cuddle him. He understands that he probably doesn’t want to do those things in front of the guys, but it’s still really disappointing. He’s crazy about Jack and a huge part of him just wants to shout it from the rooftops. 

Alex supposes that he’s just going to have to learn how to be patient, and he busies himself with finishing his breakfast. Everything is fine until a couple girls that are their age or a little bit older walk by, scantily clad and giggling. The way that Jack watches them is not lost on anyone, because this is typical Jack fashion. He can be a perv and Alex knows that, but it doesn’t make it hurt any less. And Alex knows that he’s probably overreacting, but he just really loves Jack and he wants all of his romantic and sexual attention. Even so, he ignores it, still hanging on Jack’s arm and pushing around some halved strawberries on his plate. 

But then suddenly, Jack jerks his arm away from Alex, standing up. Alex opens his mouth to ask where Jack is going, but Jack beats him to the punch. 

“Better go ask for those girls’ numbers before they take off,” Jack says, giving the group a smirk as he takes off toward the girls’ table. 

Rian shoots Alex another sympathetic look as Alex clamps his lips together, fighting back tears. He doesn’t understand what’s going on at all. He can hardly breathe and tears are pooling in his eyes. No one says anything as he stands up from his chair and darts off, leaving for the van parked in the lot. He’s so embarrassed and heartbroken and he just _needs_ to be alone. 

Once Alex is on the van, he clambers into the backseat and brings his knees up to his chest, finally allowing himself to sob. He’s never wished that they had a bus more now than he has in his entire life. If they had a bus, he could climb into his bunk, cover up, and shut the curtain. But in this stupid fucking van, he’s only alone until the rest of the guys come back, and even then, he’s going to be squished into the back with at least one other person and a fuckton of equipment. 

He just doesn’t get it. Jack had come on to him first, well besides the first time, but Alex had been drunk. He’d showed him so much kindness and treated him like a real lover. And now, it was as if Jack had just completely forgotten all about Alex and what they’d had. Alex had never felt this kind of all-around connection to someone in his entire life. He was young, but that feeling still meant a lot to him. They were friends first and now Alex wasn’t sure if they were even that now. He’d never in a million years believed that Jack would hurt him this way. Or that he’d ever hurt him. 

Alex cries into his knees for what seems to be a long while, pausing and looking up only when he hears a knock on the window beside him. He sniffles and looks up, wiping at his eyes. It’s Jack, and looking at his concerned face immediately makes Alex feel sick to his stomach. He can see Jack mouthing something to him and he bites his lip when he realizes that Jack is asking if he can join Alex in the van. 

Still sniffling, he nods and wipes his nose with his sleeve. It’s disgusting, but he doesn’t really care. He doesn’t have the energy to take care to not be gross or weird in front of Jack anymore. He watches as Jack slides the door open to the van and groans. 

“Holy shit, man,” Jack says, sitting down in the seat in front of Alex, turning so that he’s facing him. “It’s hot as fuck in here.” 

Alex supposes that it is. It’s a summer day in Vegas and the air conditioning in the van is off. He’s definitely been sweating, but he hasn’t been paying attention. He just didn’t care. “I guess,” he says softly, looking down at his lap. He can hear Jack sigh, but he doesn’t look up at him. He just can’t. He’s embarrassed and sad and even a little bit ashamed. 

“So um…,” Jack trails off as Alex wrings his hands in his lap. “Why did you run off like that? Are you okay?” 

Alex honestly can’t believe this. He can’t understand if Jack is just being completely ignorant or maybe Jack doesn’t feel the same way about Alex that Alex feels about him. He thinks that it’s the latter. “Are you kidding me?” Alex finally asks, shaking his head. He feels even sicker now, with his stomach aching and his head feeling incredibly light. He can’t believe it, but he really just wants Jack to go the fuck away. He looks up at him, glaring. 

“Alex, I honestly don’t-”

Alex doesn’t give Jack a chance to finish. “Are you honest to God telling me right now that this weekend has meant _nothing_ to you?! Because besides that, I can’t think of _any_ other fucking reason why you’d pull away from me and go and ask a couple of sluts for their number!” Alex feels tears prick to his eyes again, and it’s not the girls’ fault that Jack wanted them, but Alex is blaming them, too. He’s really, really fucking hurt. 

Realization flashes in Jack’s eyes, and Alex feels as if he’s been punched in the chest. Jack really didn’t have feelings for him. “Oh my God,” Jack whispers. “I-I’m so sorry, Alex I thought that we were just fucking around.” 

Alex blinks, the anger in his stomach rising and leaving a bad taste in his mouth. “Just fucking around,” he repeats, shaking his head and rubbing his eyes. He laughs dryly and then glares at Jack again. “So all of that…all that we did and said to each other? That was all just fucking around?” 

Jack shrugs, guilt present on his face. “I didn’t mean to hurt you,” is all that he says. 

Tears stream down Alex’s face and he brings his knees back to his chest. He wants to curl into himself completely, wash himself of Jack and all that they did together. “It wasn’t just fucking around to me,” Alex whispers, a tear sliding down his nose. “I love you.” 

He doesn’t look up for Jack’s reaction because he knows that if he does, it’s going to break him even more. He also knows that telling Jack that he loves him was incredibly pointless and even possibly stupid. But he needs Jack to know. He needs Jack to know that he can’t just do this to people. He wishes that it hadn’t have happened to him. 

“I’m sorry,” Alex hears Jack say. “I love you, too…just not that way. I never ever wanted to hurt you and I feel horrible. I’m so sorry.” 

Alex swallows hard and then sniffles, looking up and wiping his eyes. “It’s okay,” he lies. “I’ll be okay. Just…I need to be alone for a little while. 

Jack nods as Alex slides to the other part of the seat, staring out the window. There’s a wedding chapel right in his vision, and he wonders if it’s one of the chapels he’s seen on movies with an Elvis impersonator and stupid themed ceremonies. He can’t imagine that it’s something that he’d ever want, but then he thinks back on the last few days that they’ve been here. He fell head over heels for his best friend and had the time of his life — until now. If Jack had wanted to marry him in that chapel, or another one, he would have said yes. 

Jack slips into the passenger seat of the van as the rest of the guys file back. They have to go finish the tour now which means two more months on the road with Jack. And it’s going to get even hotter as the days go by. He hopes that he can heal so that the band can go on. They’ve finally made it somewhere and Alex isn’t about to throw that away, even if he _is_ completely heartbroken and doesn’t want anything to do with the pity that he knows that Jack is going to shower with him. The rest of the guys probably will, too, because they’re inevitably going to notice that Jack and Alex are distant, and that’s just not a thing that happens. He has to pull himself together for the sake of the band, and that’s just the way that it is. 

Matt gets in the driver’s seat and Rian and Zack and Vinny all thankfully squeeze into the middle seat so that Alex can be alone. They leave him alone, too, and Alex decides then that he really, really loves his friends. As they start driving, he watches the chapel fade away, smiling despite himself. 

_Would’ve married you in Vegas_ , he thinks, eyes just barely glancing at the back of Jack’s head. And then he gets an idea. A couple days later, he’s completely written “Vegas,” andhe tells everyone in the world that it’s about Meg Frampton. 

Only Jack knows that he’s lying. 


End file.
